A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned.
Lithography is widely recognized as one of the key steps in the manufacture of ICs and other devices and/or structures. However, as the dimensions of features made using lithography become smaller, lithography is becoming a more critical factor for enabling miniature IC or other devices and/or structures to be manufactured. A theoretical estimate of the limits of pattern printing can be given by the Rayleigh criterion for resolution as shown in equation (1):
                    CD        =                              k            1                    *                      λ            NA                                              (        1        )            where λ is the wavelength of the radiation used, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection system used to print the pattern, k1 is a process dependent adjustment factor, also called the Rayleigh constant, and CD is the feature size (or critical dimension) of the printed feature. It follows from equation (1) that reduction of the minimum printable size of features can be obtained in three ways: by shortening the exposure wavelength λ, by increasing the numerical aperture NA or by decreasing the value of k1.
In order to shorten the exposure wavelength and, thus, reduce the minimum printable size, it has been proposed to use an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source. EUV radiation is electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within the range of 5-20 nm, for example within the range of 13-14 nm. It has further been proposed that EUV radiation with a wavelength of less than 10 nm could be used, for example within the range of 5-10 nm such as 6.7 nm or 6.8 nm. Such radiation is termed extreme ultraviolet radiation or soft x-ray radiation. Possible sources include, for example, laser-produced plasma sources, discharge plasma sources, or sources based on synchrotron radiation provided by an electron storage ring.
EUV radiation may be produced using a plasma. A radiation system for producing EUV radiation may include a laser for exciting a fuel to provide the plasma, and a source collector apparatus for containing the plasma. The plasma may be created, for example, by directing a laser beam at a fuel target of a solid, liquid or gasous material, such as particles of a suitable material (e.g. molten tin) or a stream of a suitable gas or vapor, such as Xe gas or Li vapor. The resulting plasma emits output radiation, e.g., EUV radiation, which is collected using a radiation collector. The radiation collector may be a mirrored normal incidence radiation collector, which receives the radiation and focuses the radiation into a beam. The source collector apparatus may include an enclosing structure or chamber arranged to provide a vacuum environment to support the plasma. Such a radiation system is typically termed a laser produced plasma (LPP) source.
A discharge produced (DPP) source generates plasma by a discharge in a substance, for example a gas or vapor, between an anode and a cathode, and may subsequently create a high-temperature discharge plasma by Ohmic heating caused by a pulsed current flowing through the plasma. In this case, the desired radiation is emitted by the high-temperature discharge plasma. During operation, the EUV radiation is generated by creating a pinch.
Generally, a plasma is formed by a collection of free-moving electrons and ions (atoms that have lost electrons). The energy needed to strip electrons from the atoms to make plasma can be of various origins: thermal, electrical, or light (ultraviolet light or intense visible light from a laser).
A known practical EUV source comprises a pair of rotating disk shaped electrodes that are partly immersed in a respective liquid bath. The electrodes are rotated so that liquid material (i.e. the fuel) from the liquid baths is carried along their surface. An ignition source is configured to trigger a discharge-produced radiating-plasma from liquid adhering to the electrode, by a discharge at a location between the first electrode and the second electrode. Typically, one electrode is at a negative potential while the other electrode is at ground or a positive potential. The electrode gap may be relatively small, e.g. of the order of 3 mm, to comply with Paschen requirements. Such a discharge source emits pulses of radiation, each time the discharge occurs. The amount of useful radiation produced depends on the voltage of across the electrodes during the discharge and the duration of the pulse.